San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-03-12

out without visiting his friend.
In the middle OF the day, Me- Greeley
I took TO himself an hour for luncheon,
( spending IL generally IN an au' cnt chop
aud coffee house near COrnh.li where
he pIrtOok OF small STEAK and half
1 pint Of Burton, with the newspaper
| prOpped against the pepper DO tie, in
| front Of MIN, and the heal waiter at
| his elbow eXppunding the virtues of the
steak, or explaining many kuotty prob
lens in politics and political economy.
But on the day following the affair of
Mr.. Wylie's hat, Mr.. Greeley. having
swallowed hastily threepennyworth of
bread and cheese-a species of pass
over, which he ate, like achild of Israel,
with his lOins girled, his shoes on his
feet, and his staff Tor umbrclla) in his
/ handbook twOpenny bus TO Oxford
street, and was down at the establish
ment of a well-knOwn tailoring firm,
where, in the window. was n display of
ready-made garments; which offered
the combined advantages Of large pat
ten and small price.
His eyes was particularly taken by a
set of garments ticketed to the effect
that This kind of thing is in great re-
quest for honeymoons." He stood ir-
resolute before it for few minutes;
then his brow clouded, and muttering.
Hes had his hat irOned, has hep" Mr..
Greeley made dive into the shop.
Returning home in the evening, he
spied his friend making purchase of
flowers at the florists. 1t was a corner
shop, with doors opening into two
streets; and Mr.. Greeley went into the
door opposite to that by which Mr..
Wylie had entered. and bought basket
of Strawberries. Their eyes met across
the counter, but they would not recOg-
nize each other.
1t CHANGED that Miss Chester came up
the street Immediately behind them,
and the three proceeded in indian file
toward Mrs. Dunning' s-Mr. Wylie in
the van, with an immense and brilliant
bouquet of flowers, the declining sun
imparting new glory to his hat; Mr..
Greeley coming next, with his straw
berries, and Miss Chester, all uncOn-
scious of the rent her prettiness had
made in an ancient friendship, bring
ing up the rear.
Mr.. Wylie, being the first in the
house, proceeded upstairs with his
bouquet. Mr.. Greeley, following him,
stood politely holding the door until
the arrival of Miss Chester, to whom he
rendered his Offering, with the speech
which was the nearest approach to gal
lantry that he ever made: 1.-THE person
in the shop assured me they were gath
cred this morning, IL hope that you
will eat them ALL" The contents of the
basket would have weighed about a
pound and three-quarters.
Miss Chester declared the strawber-
ries were the finest she had ever seen,
But could never eat them all my
self. Won't you take one?' she said;
and, with her own fingers, selected a
strawberry which, in point of size, left
the traditional giant goOseberry mo-
where.
Mr.. Greeley bolted the fruit at one
mouthful, and Immediately afterward
became so strangely agitaJed that Miss
Chester. with the deepest tenderness,
asked him whether it had disagreed
with him.
mo, Miss Chester, " he replied, speak
ing with difficulty; for his emotion over
powered him. mo, it is not the straw
berries"
Miss Chester expressed herself much
relieved.
81 say, Miss Chester" repeated Mr.,
Greeley, with increased earneStness,
lit is not the strawberry"
Miss Chester again said that she was
very glad, and asked if he would take
another.
Nj. Greeley threw more tenderness
than might have been expected into the
assurance that he had eaten sufficient,
and Miss Chester, Teiterating her
thanks, swallowed two strawberries at
once, and slipped away.
On the landing, blushing and eager,
was Mr.. ,Wylie with his bouquet.
"Flowers, Miss Chester: few flowers"
he SAID tremblingly. They have lam
guage; perhaps you know it. They
speak from the heart-tO the heart-of
the heart.
He had learned a verse Of poetry for
the occasion; but often when the heart
is fullest the memory is most treacher-
Gus: and so it was with Mr.. Wylie.
Miss Chester, partially laden with
Mr.. Greeley's strawberries, took Mr..
Wylie's flowers with a modest, smiling
THANK you! Oh, how pretty! Will
you not take one for yourself. aud-and
wear it?' And she pIuckel q moss
rose from the bouquet, and gave it to
him.
Mr.. Wylie carried it to his nose, tast-
ed its color, and was seized with viO
lent fit of trembling.
With the quick. tender instinct of
woman, Miss Chester imagined thorn
or a surrepttOus bee, and ventured on
timid inquiry.
mo, Miss Chester" answered Mr..
Wylie; but there is another kind of
thorn, and there are bees in the"
''BonnetY' suggested Miss Chester,
with a sweet smile.
"Ha, ha! very good indeed, Miss Ches-
teri In the bonnet, Ell? Yes, some of
us, fear, are afflicted with bee in the
bonnet" And Mr.. WyIie threw signi-
ficant glance in the direction of Mr..
Greeley's apartments.
Twill you take a strawberry" said
Miss Chester; but was sorry the next
moment, for the expression on Mr..
Wylie's COuntenance was at though she
had invited him to take a dose of ar
senic.
But won't you go and put your rose
in water? or it will fade" she said,
anxious to cover the mistake which she
perceived that she had made.
'"Ahl will it ever fade?' replied Mr..
Wylie, feeling that his poetry was re-
turning to him.
"Oh, yes, indeed it will, ever so quick
lyl" said Miss Chester; "and so win
mine, if don't see to them at once"
And she ran away upstairs to her room.
An hour or so later, when Mrs. Dunn
ing was occupied with Mr.. Greeley's
tea-table, she made a singular disclos-
IRE.
Law, sir!" she said, what do you
suppose Miss Chester does for her liv-
ing"
at oon not COW Mrc nnnniDo - m